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When did you realize you were really in labor?
At about 7 am. My gut said I should go wake the toddler and give him one last snuggle as an only child.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
We changed healthcare providers during our first pregnancy to be able to go natural. We received a lot of counsel that our OBGyn would support to an extent but not as fully as we hoped. So we changed to a midwives practice after meeting and hiring our doula.doula.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
We did a birth class - similar to Birth Bootcamp I think but not the same. It just gave us a full picture of what to expect and what we might run into.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly it went. My first came in just 5 hours of labor and less than 30 minutes of pushing. My second came in really about an hour, nearly on the hospital sidewalk!
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Remember that baby will come as baby will come. Don't stress yourself out about the process so much that you can't roll with the punches of labor and delivery.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Hot showers and hip compression by my husband. And my poor doula walking me through breathing on the phone as we both hurried toward the hospital.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
My first came on my back - pretty standard. When I arrived they felt I was reflex pushing and wanted to be sure I was safe to do such. I couldn't move once I was on my back for them to check. For my second - hands and knees. We all knew I was pushing when I arrived into the delivery room. I climbed on the bed and out came baby two pushes later.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Incredible. Unreal. Beautiful.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Remember that baby will come as baby will come. Don't stress yourself out about the process so much that you can't roll with the punches of labor and delivery. Also, find yourself a supportive team - doula, midwives, spouse :)
